The Friedrich Ebert Stiftung extends its greetings of solidarity and congratulations to the organizers and participants of the 2004 World Conference of Overseas Filipino Workers. FES is honored to be part of this pioneering effort of the Philippine Migrants Rights Watch (PMRW) in convening the various stakeholders in the field of labor migration. We cannot overemphasize the relevance and timeliness of this activity and we believe that the Philippines has reached an important crossroads _ a critical period that calls for an assessment and the rethinking of migration approaches, policies, and strategies.
In this era of a globalized labor market, one group of workers has stood out and they are called the `global Filipinos.' A new breed of heroes whose skills and better income resulted in substantial contributions to the survival of the Philippine economy but at the same time led many to question its social and psychological costs. A cost-benefit analysis of this phenomenon is a complex and complicated exercise that continues to sustain a national discourse. This takes an interesting turn when the issues are framed within the polarity of failed economic development and a person's freedom to find employment anywhere in this fast-becoming borderless world. Labor migration is indeed a multidimensional phenomenon and only a constant interrogation of the phenomenon can make it fair and just. That is the value of this conference and the subsequent processes and projects the participants will collectively formulate.
As a German organization, the FES shares the goals of this activity in creating a labor migration context that is governed by social justice, equal pay for equal work, cultural tolerance, and even freedom of association. Our roots in the trade union movement inevitably create a united platform for FES and the migration stakeholders to contribute in shaping a just and equitable global labor market. This also means that cooperation has to be established at the community, national, regional and global levels. We hope to see greater partnership among NGOs, the trade unions and the OFW organizations in various countries as a cornerstone in shaping a better future of labor migration. It is primarily through this civil society consolidation that the workers can ensure protection, create genuine communities, and at the same time maximize the opportunities of globalization.
Congratulations and more power! |
